Trousers-stretchers.



N0. 64l,750. Patented Jan. 23, I900. W. F. STEGGALL.

TROUSERS STBETGHER.

(Application filed Oct. 17, 1898.)

(N0 Model.)

/ jam/Z} 14. W 2 a aM VZ /7 hilmrar .$.\.MM 7, l7). lfzdbz/ NTTED STATES PATENT Fries.

WILLIAM FREDERIO STEGGALL, OF LONDON, ENGLAND;

i'ROUSERS STRETCHER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 641,750, dated January 23, 1900;

Application filed October 17, 1898. Serial No. 693 775. (No modeli) To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM FREDERIO STEGGALL, gentleman, a subject of the Queen of Great Britain and Ireland, residing at 68 Cambridge road, Mile End, London, England, have invented certain new Improvements in Connection with a Combined Trousers Presser and Stretcher, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to an improved apparatus for pressing and stretching trousers, the act of pressing causing the trousers at the same time to be automatically stretched. For this purpose I provide an ordinary press composed of a top and bottom plate or board coupled together near each end by cross bars or strips and vertical side bolts or screws provided with adjusting-nuts. To each of the forward bolts or screws and nuts is connected a set of pivoted bars crossing each other and arranged in the manner of a lazy-tongs. To the forward ends of these bars are connected two wooden or metal cross pieces or bars, be-

tween which the upper end of the trousers is gripped in the act of stretching. The inner sides of these cross pieces or bars and of the plates or boards of the press are slightly hollowed out or recessed at their centers for receiving the seams of the trousers and permitting the whole surface of the latter being gripped or pressed evenly. The trousers are laid lengthwise between the plates or boards, and the nuts at the rear end are screwed down to hold them tightly at that end. The upper end of the trousers is then placed between the cross pieces or bars at the forward end. The nuts on the bolts at this end are then screwed down, thereby causing the lazytongs bars to be extended forward and the cross pieces or bars to be drawn together, so as to tightly grip the top end of the trousers between them. Thus the act of drawing the plates or boards together to press the trousers also causes them to be automatically stretched by means of the two sets of bars or lazy-tongs at the front end of the press.

Referring to the accompanying sheet of drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation, and Fig. 2 a plan, of the improved apparatus. Fig. 3 is a cross-section through the presser plates or boards, and Fig. 4 shows a modified form of slots in the end bars of the lazy-tongs.

a 0b are the top and bottom presser-boards, and b b are the cross-bars, fixed to the outer sides thereof.

The bars 21 are provided at each end with an open slot 6 and the bars I) with a square hole 19 c c are the side bolts, formed with a square portion fitting into the holes I) and provided with adjusting thumb-nuts c The nuts 0 of the bolts 0 are each provided with a loose collar (1, to which is pivoted at d abar e, pivoted to and crossing another bar e, engaging at one end with the square portion of the bolts 0'. To the otherends of the bars e e are 'also pivoted other cross-bars e 6 The forward ends of these bars, on each side of the apparatus, are connected together by the cross pieces or bars ff.

The bars 6, 6, c and c on each side are arranged and act in a similar manner to that of a lazy:tongs, so that as the nuts 0 on the bolts 0 are screwed down the cross pieces or bars f f are not only brought together to grip the trousers placed between them, but they are forced or carried forward from the presser boards a a, thereby stretching the trousers held between the said boards. v

The outer ends of the cross-bars e e are formed with two or more inclined slots 6 in which the axes f 2 of the bars f f are held and by means of which the distance between the said bars may be adjusted for receiving one or more pairs of trousers and the stretching power of the lazy-tongs be regulated.

In some cases I may form the bars 6 e on one side of the stretcher with rectangular openings or slots, two of which are shown at 0 Fig. 4, instead of the inclined slots 6 the spindles f of the cross-pieces f f being of rectangular section at that end to fit into and be held in said slots.

When using the apparatus, the nuts 0 are loosened and the trousers placed between the boards a a. The nuts on the rear bolts'c are then screwed down to hold the trousers tightly, and the upper end of the trousers are placed between the cross-pieces f f, after which the nuts on the front bolts 0 are also screwed down, so as to bring the pressure of the top board a equally upon the trousers.'

The latter are represented by the dotted lines in Fig. 1 in their pressed and stretched position. The inner surfaces of the boards are slightly hollowed out or recessed, as shown at a in Fig. 3, to leave room for the seams of the trousers, so that the edges of the latter may be as equally pressed as the centers. The upper end of the trousers having been placed between the cross-piecesff, as before described, the screwing down of the nuts on the bolts 0 causes the said end of the trousers to be gripped between f and f, while by the action of the lazy-tongs arrangement of bars carrying the latter the trousers are automatically stretched at the same time they are pressed.

Having now fully described the nature of my said invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. A combined trousers presser and stretcher comprising two plates or boards fitted with adjusting or tightening screws or bolts and nuts constituting the presser, and a series of pivoted cross-bars fitted to the bolts and nuts at one end of the presser, in the manner of a lazy-tongs, and carrying at their other end two cross-pieces between which the upper end of the trousers is gripped for stretching the same by reason of these ends coming together by the extending action of the said cross-bars owing to the pressure exerted upon the ends by means of the nuts being screwed down upon them substantially as described.

2. In a trousers presser and stretcher the combination of two plates, or boards such as a, a provided with bars I), 1) formed with slots b 12 for receiving and holding the bolts or screws 0, c, and the pivoted cross-bars or lazy-tongs devices 8, e, 6 e connected to the front bolts 0, and to the nuts 0 thereon by means of a loose collar d, and carrying the cross-pieces f, f, adj ustably mounted in the slots 6 or (2 formed in the front cross-bars e 6 substantially as described and for the purposes specified.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM FREDE RIC STEGGALL.

Witnesses:

FREDERICK MICAH MELLOR, JOSEPH RICHARD GRAY. 

